Ways to improve the practicality of your home

Written by M. Akamatra

Last Updated: 08 October 2018

Hello darlings,

Everyone wants their home to look good. That’s certain. But there are also other things that matter when you’re a homeowner. And there is no reason why things like a strong design have to stand in the way of other important factors, such as practicality. All good homes should look great and be functional for the people that live in them. It’s all about striking the right balance and making sure that the home works for you and your family.

There are some key changes that you should think about making if you do think your home is lacking practicality. It’s not a problem that’s specific to you either. Many people make big design plans for their home and then realise that the home is not particularly practical. The tweaks and changes that you need to make don’t have to be expensive or dramatic. You can often make a home more practical with a few simple steps, so read on to find out more.

Draw Up Plans First

Whenever you are making changes to the home, you need to draw up plans. So, if you are doing any redesign work in the home, make sure that you are prepared in advance. Mistakes tend to get made, and the home can become less than practical if you jump in without doing the planning first. These plans should be meticulous. And for bigger projects, it’s important to get the help of people who are specialists.

Make sure that you use the plans to guide you whenever you are carrying out any kind of major work on the home. Failing to do this could end in disaster for your home. It doesn’t take much time at all to plan things out and consider what the end consequences of your actions will be. If you are sure that you want to make big changes, it’s worth having them done properly.

Make Furniture Proportionate

It’s not the size of the furniture in your home that really matters. Instead, it’s the proportions of it. If the furniture is out of proportion to the size of the room, then it can feel all wrong. And not only does it feel wrong, but it functions badly too. For example, if the furniture is too big for the room, it will make it hard to use the room properly because the space will be reduced.

So, when you buy furniture, don’t just measure what you're buying. You also need to know the measurements of your room and how the new furniture will slot into place. If the furniture is the wrong proportion, you’ll regret your purchase as soon as it’s in place. That’s not really what you want, so don’t let it happen to you.

When the space you have is small, you want to make it seem as big as it can be. So, make sure that you make the space flow easily. This can mean creating fewer barriers between rooms. If you have multiple rooms that are not broken up by unnecessary walls, it can feel like one big space. For example, a kitchen and dining room often don’t need to be separated, so tear down that wall.

There are other small things you can do to make the space flow better. Many people choose to remove doors that seem unnecessary. Sometimes, a simple gap in the wall, as opposed to a door, can make the space seem much more open and spacious. It’s all because the rooms will flow into each other much better than they did previously.

Add Those Small Practical Features

There are many small practical things you can add to your home to make it that little bit easier to use. It can be something as simple as adding drawer dividers to ensure that you can find what you want easily. This is the kind of organisational change that can really make your home more intuitive. And when you kind things quicker, you can get those daily chores done quicker too.

If you want to keep the doors in your home open, so that rooms feel less shut off, invest in some simple door stops. Superiormaker door stops are probably the best kind to use. And you can also get things like shoe racks that make storing and finding shoes so much easier. That can be a big problem for families with lots of shoes to store.

Don’t Let Themes Overwhelm a Room

If a room in your home has a particular theme, you should be careful not to let it overwhelm the room. This is something that is very common when people are sure that they want the room to look a certain way. Yes, it can be good to have a solid idea of what the room should look like. But you should also know when the theme is going too far and damaging the practicality of the room.

For example, a minimalist design can be very good. But do you really want to opt for a design so minimalist that it becomes unwelcoming and uncomfortable? This is when design choices get taken to the extreme. It’s all about finding a balance that works in every possible way. If you stay in touch with what’s important and don’t get carried away with style, this shouldn’t become a problem.

Improve Kitchen Lighting

The lighting in the kitchen also needs to be very good. If the lighting is too weak, it can make using the kitchen almost impossible. That’s because the lighting stops you from cooking. You can’t exactly chop vegetables or prepare meat if you can’t see what you’re doing. More than any other room in the house, lighting is most important of all in the kitchen, so it’s something to keep in mind.

One of the best things you can do to remedy the problem is to install some spotlights in the kitchen. These can be fitted above the work surfaces in the kitchen. They shine down on the cooking and preparation work you’re doing to make sure that you can carry it all out safely and securely. They’re cheap to buy and easy to install, so it’s something that’s worth considering.

If you really want to make your home easier and better to use for all the family. Then you should make sure that every space has multiple functions. This can mean different things for different homes. So, it’s important to make sure that you take the approach that works best for you. You need to think about how you use the home and how your space can help you with that.

For example, if you have a family, you might want to create an area where children can do homework while you cook. It’s simple things like this that can really make your home feel more practical and suited to your own specific needs. Everyone wants their home to work for them, so think creatively and see what change you can make to achieve that. It might be simpler than you think.

Think Carefully About Flooring

For practicality, it’s important to think very carefully indeed about the flooring options in your home. Carpets get dirty and unclean much more quickly than other kinds of flooring. All that extra dirt and grime can be pretty hard to shift after a while. And it’s just not practical to keep washing the carpets on your hands and knees when you have other things to take care of. Carpets are notoriously difficult to get clean, especially if they’re light in colour.

Wood flooring is the most practical type of flooring for most modern homes. It’s very easy to get clean because it can just be wiped. You will find that cleaning it will take you no time at all compared to how much effort goes into cleaning carpets. It can be very easy to install as well. And if you can’t handle the installation, just get a pro to do it for you.

Or Use Plenty of Rugs

If you don’t want to switch to wood flooring, the next best solution is to make use of plenty of rugs. The great thing about rugs is that they can mask your floor and make it look fresh and new. You just have to position them correctly. And it’s also important to ensure that the rugs match the rest of the room. If they stand out too much, they will throw off the overall design choices you picked out for the room.

When something does fall on the floor and causes a stain, it will be easy to clean because you can pick it up and throw it in the washing machine. This is one of the main reasons why rugs can save you a lot of time and hassle around the home. They also add a bit more comfort and luxury if you buy the right ones, which can only be a good thing.